


Shovel Talk

by Thaum



Series: Of elves and dwarves [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Dark Thranduil, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Post-War, Shovel Talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 06:04:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14158410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thaum/pseuds/Thaum
Summary: Gimli almost shits his pants in a Thorin-inspired throne room scene and Legolas has to convince Gloin, that he isn't like his father.No fluff today.English isn't my first language. Be nice.





	1. Cruel, cold and heartless

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beargirl1393](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beargirl1393/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [beargirl1393](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beargirl1393/pseuds/beargirl1393) in the [2000GigolasFics](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/2000GigolasFics) collection. 



> **Prompt:**  
>  Gimli and Legolas both receive the shovel talk (or the Middle-Earth equivalent), from different people once their relationship is revealed. Who gives the talks, and what do they say? And, how do Gimli and Legolas react to these talks?
> 
> *Bonus if more than one person gives them the talk.

"The last time, a dwarf stood here before me, he ended up in my dungeons. I feel tempted to get nostalgic." 

Gimli fiddled with his beard and tried to conclude, if this was supposed to be a joke. Did that elf even know, what a joke was? He decided, no reply was the safest option at all. Anyhow, his heart was somewhere deep down in his boots. He looked warily at the imposing figure before him. Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm, ancient Warlord and Dragonslayer. So alike Legolas with his flawless features. And so very not alike with his demeanor. Legolas.. his light, so warm and welcoming, his home. Like his own sun, he always thought. Yes.. his sun, his elf.. But where Legolas was the sun, his father, who stared at him at the very moment, as if he were less than scum, resembled the moon. Bright and beautiful, yes. But cold and distant. Gloin had spat at his feet as he spoke to him of Thranduil years ago, when he himself had never seen an elf before. "He is a cold, heartless and cruel creature. They all are." And he believed it, because it had been the truth. His father knew them, it had been the truth. And now it wasn't and here he stood, trying to reason with the Elvenking over matters of the heart, that he was supposed not to have. He felt like the fool his father had told him to be.

"There is only one reason, why I even look at you, dwarf."

Gimli swallowed. "My name is Gimli, my Lord. Gimli, son of Gloin." He raised his head and looked the Elvenking into the face who had pressed his lips into a thin line.

 "I know your name." His voice was as cold as his eyes. "Do not think I will speak it. What do you want? My approval? I cannot give you that."

"It would mean a lot to Legolas. I want him to be happy. He loves you. And I love him."

"Love."

Gimli wasn't sure, if it was possible to let that word sound any more disparaging.

"He is an immortal being. You are not. Do you think you know what that means?" Gimli closed his eyes. "Do you know what it takes?" He started to walk down the steps in front of his throne, leading down to the platform where he stood. "Look at me and tell me: what do you want from me, what you've not already taken?" Gimli opened his eyes again and studied the now clearly pained expression. Something flickered over Thranduils face and for a second, the dwarf was sure, he had seen into hell. He forced himself to not look away. "You love him? Do you even know, what it is? Would you fight, would you die for it?" 

"I am here, am I not?" Gimli whispered. _Would I be here, if my life would be worth anything without him?_

Thranduil studied him for what felt like an eternity and he felt evaluated. He felt, how he himself questioned his own qualities and morals. What was it with these ancient elves, that they could get into your head and tamper around with your mind? He started to fidget and suddenly that feeling was gone. Thranduil closed his eyes and turned his head away. His voice sounded kind of strangled.

"Tell Legolas, he is welcome in his home." _Tell him I love him, no matter what._

Gimli let out the breath he didn't even knew he was holding. "So it's ' _You break his heart, I break your legs'_?'" he tried to release the tension and chuckled nervously.

Thranduil turned back to him, walked slowly down the last few steps and towered over him, staring with unreadable eyes into his own. Then he leaned down, his breath sending shivers down Gimlis spine as he almost brushed his lips against his ear and whispered: "Believe me, no one would be able to tell."

The dwarf didn't dare to move and stood still as a rock while he felt all blood drain from his face. "I understand." 

"Good."


	2. Stupid, greedy and coarse

Legolas sat at the table and stared at his plate. He couldn't possibly eat what was on it. Whatever it was. He looked at the dwarf next to him tucking in.

"What is that?"

"Hmm? Oh. Stuffed offals. Eat it."

"Stuffed with what?"

Gimli grinned. "Familiy secret. Excuse me, I have to go where little dwarves go." He stood and left the room while Legolas started to pick at the 'family secret'.

"It's not to your taste, isn't it?"

Legolas raised his eyes to Gloin, who sat in front of him. "I don't know what it is."

"It doesn't matter what it is. It's good dwarven food. Eat it."

Legolas sighed and put the knife away. Gloin stopped chewing and threw a glance at the door. Then he put his own knife down, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"I think it's time for the talk."

Legolas looked warily at his friends father. "The talk?"

"The talk." He looked again to the door - but Gimli was nowhere to be seen - and cleared his throat. "I have known your father."

"Have known? He's still alive."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that.." he chuckled and Legolas rolled his eyes ".. but what I meant to say is, that we have a shared past."

Legolas raised an eyebrow.

"We fought together", he hurried to clearify, "..and against each other. I cannot say, that I have a single trace of sympathy for him in my body. I have never met anyone more arrogant and cold hearted my whole life." He paused and pinched his nose. "When Gimli told me he was in love, I thanked Mahal, because I thought, I would never see my grand children."

Legolas started to feel slightly unwell when he slowly realized, where this conversation was headed.

"When he told me, he was in love with a _male_.. well, it was kind of a blowback, but I could cope with it." He took his knife again and fiddled with it. "When he told me, he was in love with an elf.. I have to admit, I thought it was the best joke of the century. When he said it wasn't, I went out of the door and got utterly pissed for three days in a row."

"Pissed?"

"Drunk."

"Oh."

"But.. I finally came to the conclusion, that I could cope with it." Gloin took a deep breath. "When he brought you here, and I looked into your fathers eyes.. "  he put the knife carefully away and his hands flat on the table ".. that was the moment, when I knew, I cannot take it. I love my son more than anything else in this fucking world. And I will be doomed, if I sit here and watch how you rip out his good-natured, loyal, loving heart. Because I know, you possibly cannot be worth it."

Legolas knew, he should be offended. But when he looked at the tormented expression at Gloins face, he couldn't. He knew his heart to be true. He would - most literally - die for it. But he knew his father also, and he really couldn't blame Gloin. Some truths were buried too deep for even a dwarf to dig out. He realized, he had exactly one chance to say the right thing and opened his mouth to answer when the dwarf raised a hand to stop him.

"Nothing you can probably say, will change my mind."

Legolas smiled, and it was a warm and caring smile. "I am not my father." _I am not my grand-father._

Gloin stared at the elf in front of him as unwanted memories flodded his body. Of all damned things he could have said.. he closed his eyes and sighed. He would never be able to forget the battle.. the bodies, the cries.. He still woke sometimes at night, with a racing heart and drenched in sweat. Images that had burnt itself in his memory haunted his dreams. Fili smashed at the ground. Thorin lying in his own blood. And the Elvenking on his elk, giving the command to massacre Dain and his army, lethal and cold as ice. _I am not my father_. Hadn't it been true at another time and at another place? He opened his eyes and looked at the elf his son loved so much. Why had he to look like his father? But of course, he wasn't his father. So far, he seemed to be quite polite towards dwarves. That was more than anyone could ever say about the Elvenking. And when he smiled, it reached his eyes. And he had to admit, when he did, he didn't look like his father at all. He gave his heart a jerk. 

"Well boy, then it's down to 'Break his heart and I will break your legs'".

"My legs? Why my legs?"

"It's a saying. Literally, I will break every fucking bone in your body. And that's just the beginning."

"Oh. Okay."


End file.
